Surfacing machine



March 25, 1947. D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL 2,418,085

' SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 18 Sheets-Sheet l March 25, 1947-D. MULHOLLAND ETAVL 2,418,085

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March 25, 1947.

D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 18Sheets-Sheet 3 March 25, 1947. I MULHQLLAND ETAL 2,418,085

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arch 25, 1947. MULHOLLAND ETAL 2,418,085

SURFAC ING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 HIIlllv L I l lMarch 25, 1947.

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March 25, 1947. D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL 2,418,035

SURFAC ING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 0414b 5. Ml/LHOLLAWO, lfl/P/f 5. LAW/FENCE,

March 1947- D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL v 2,418,085

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D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 24, 194::

18 Shee ts-v-Sheet 9 March 1947- D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL 2,413,085

SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 18 Sheets-Sheet l0 my r .1 it;

- l8 Sheets-Sheet 11 SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 D. E.MULHOLLAND ETAL March 25, 1947.

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March 1947. D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL 2,418,085

SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 18 Sheets-Sheet l3 Mag-ch 25, 1947.D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL 8 SURFACING mcnm Filed May 24, 1943 I8Sheets-Sheet l4 QMW March 1947. D. MULHOLLAND ETAL 2,418,085

SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 DA 1100 E. Ml/LHal A No, lr/fi/r .9. LAW/RE/VCE,

March 7- p. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL 2,418,035

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March 25, 1947. D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 241943 18 Sheets-Sheet l7 m 4 My;

March 25, 1947- D. E. MULHOLLAND ETAL SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 24,1945 18 She'ets-Sheet l8 A l E E ms M w W w 6 M. I V W L; m 5 A g R sww. a?

Patented Mar. 25, 1947 SURFACING MACHINE David E. Mulholland, FortMyers, Fla, and Kirk S. Lawrence, West Reading, Pa.; said David E.Mulholland assignor to Walter S. Mulholland, Reading, Pa.

Application May 24, 1943, Serial No. 488,256

44 Claims. (Cl. 51-97) This invention relates to grinding or polishingmachines and, while being especially advantageous in the surfacing oflens blanks, it is generally useful in forming curved surfaces wherevertances from the guideway so that the degree of curvature imparted to thework may be varied.

A still further feature of the invention resides in providing a worksurfacing machine with an precision is required. 5 arcuate guidewayalong which the work is mov- The principal object of the invention is toproable to and fro in engagement with a, rotatable vide a machine forforming curved surfaces whose surfacing wheel and with means whereby thecendegree of curvature is independent of the curvater of curvature ofthe arcuate guideway may be ture of the surfacing means employed and isthus selectively positioned on either side of the face uneffected bywear of the surfacing means. of the work in engagement with the surfacinAnother object of the invention istoprovide means so that, as desired,either a. convex sura surfacing machine which by simple adjustment faceor a concave surface may be formed on the is selectively capable ofproducing any one of a Work great variety of curved urfaces Such, for.exam Still another feature of the invention consists ple, as concave orconvex cylindrical surfaces of in mounting t e Wo holding means whicheither circular or non-circular sections,concave causes the work to moveto and fro in a curved or convex spherical surfaces, and concave orconpa 1113011 a p v y m t beam Which is ex aspherica] surfaces v Vcapable Of being rocked to maintain the Work in A further object of theinvention i to provide e m t W e Surfacing an the D a surfacing machinewhich may be successfully 2o otal mounting for the beam being verticallyadoperated by comparatively unskilled workmen for .l'ust bletfl e le e at mO as aw rapidly surfacing lens blanks with extreme pre- P a d and w yom e S r acing means. cision, it being possible by the presentinventi n7 Yet another feature of the invention consists to surface a successionof lenses at a rate much n mounting a Work hOIdiIlg me r O a b se fasterthan any machine now in use and with which is adapted to swing to andfro in a curved a variation of less than .001 of an inch between p t din a so iatin therewith means for movany two of them. ing the workholding means toward and away A primary feature of the inventionconsists in from th base as the latter w s t a d fro in providingasurfacing machine having a rotatable engagement with suitable surfacingmeans. surfacing means and a work holding means with 9 Other and morespecific features of the invenmechanism for moving the holding means andtion, residing in advantageous forms, combinathe work to and fro in acurved path transversely s d l t s f Parts il hereinafter of the axis ofrotation of the surfacing means pear and be pointed out in the claims.while maintaining the work in engagement with In the drawi the surfacingmeans. I Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a machine Anotherfeature of the invention consists in embodyin the i I providing asurfacing machine with a curved u e 2 is a p ew f themachine'illllsguideway along which the Work to be surfaced is trated inFigure 1. v moved to and fro while in engagement with the Figures 3 and3a are enlarged complementary work surfacing means. 4 longitudinalvertical sectional views of the ma- A further feature of the inventionconsists in chine, Figure 3 illustrating the left half thereof providinga work surfacing machine with means as viewed in Figure 1 and Figure 3aillustrating for moving the work to and fro in a predeterthe right half.T mined curved path in engagement with suitable Figures 4 and 4a areenlarged complementary r in me n nd in ass ciating t rewith longitudinalhorizontal sectional views of the mameans for rotating the work as itmoves to and fro chine, Figure 4 illustrating the left half thereof inengagement with the surfacing means. and Figure 4a the right half.

A still further feature of the invention consists Figures 5 and 6 aretransverse vertical sectional in pl'ovlding a WQTk hDIding a s Whichismovviews taken on lines 5.5 and 6-.6 respectively able to and fro alonga curved guideway for of Figure 3. causing the work to move in a curvedpath in en Figure 7 is a. vertical sectional viewtaken on agement withrotatable surfacing means, and in line l-'? of Figure 5.

also providing means whereby the holding means Figure 8 is a verticalsectional View taken on may be selectively positioned at differentdisline 8- of Figure 3.

I3l3 of Figure 11.

Figure 14 is a side elevational view of portions of the machine adjacentthe work holding and surfacing means showing a device for supplyingcoolant to the work being surfaced.

blanks by using a wheel consisting of a hub portion H and a peripheralportion l2 composed of abrasive grains bonded in a resilient or elasticmedium such as rubber or shellac. The wheel may be easily made rigidwith the shaft and yet -be adapted to be quickly removed therefrom byFigure 13 is a detail sectional view taken on line Figure 15 is an endelevational view of theconof' the parts there illustrated being such asto produce aconcave surface onthe work.

Figurell'l is a transverse vertical sectional view 7 of a .form ofgrinding or polishing wheel suitable for forming a, concave surface.

.Figure 1.8 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a form ofgrinding or polishing wheel suitable for forming convex surfaces.

Figure 19 is substantially a diagrammatic view illustrating the relativeposition of various parts of the machine when set up to form a convexsurface. 7 I I Figure 2D is substantially a diagrammatic viewillustrating the relative position of various parts of the. machine whenset up .to form a concave surface.

Figure 21 is aiview partly in vertical section and partly in elevationof a, slightly modified form ofwork'holding unit.

Figures 22 and 23 are views partly in'horizontal section and partly inelevation. of the work holding unit shown inFigure 21 equipped withdifferent sized filler members.

Figure 24 is a plan view of one of the control units ofthe machine.

' Figure 25 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional View, partsthereof being shown in elevation, of amodifiedform of the invention.

Figure 26 isa side elevational View of the form of theinventi'onillustrated in Figure 25. Figure 27 is aview' similar to Figure 25 ofanother slightly'modified form-of the invention. In Figure 28 is avertical sectional view taken'on a line corresponding'to line 28 28 ofFigure 2 illustrating a modified form of the invention capable of usewith the modifications illustrated in Figures 25 to 27, inclusive.

"r Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein the invention isshown as embodiedin a machine particularly suitable for surfacing lensblanks, I.i'ndicat'es'a beam which is mounted for upon a suitablesupport 5. to one side of the beam isa' work surfacing means 6consisting of a rotatable work engaging wheel I carried on the outer endof the shaft 8 which is effectively restrained from the slightestvibration by being journaled-within an elongated bearing 9 housed withina suitable bracket Ill. r

forming its hub with a central tapered opening for fitting over acorrespondingly tapered extension 53 of the shaft and in providing thereduced outer end of the shaft with a screw threaded nut 14 which isadapted to coact with a thrust collar or washer l5 for forcing the wheelaxially of the shaft.

On the inner end of shaft 8 are a pair of pulleys or sheaves it aroundwhich pass a pair of endless belts l'! adapted to be driven by pulleysl8 mounted on a shaft 19 of an electric motor 20. The electric motor ismounted on the same supporting base 5 as the work surfacing means 6. Fora purpose which will hereinafter appear, the work surfacing means isvertically adjustable with respect to the beam l and consequently withrespect to the motor 29. This adjustment may be accomplished by merelyemploying a removable block or member 2! which, when interposed betweenthe supporting base 5 and the work surfacing means, maintains thelatter. in an elevated position as shown in Figures 3a and 10. the blockis removed however, the work surfacing means rests directly on thesupporting base 5 and is thus supported at a lower elevation, as seen inFigures 16 and 20 of the drawings.

The work holding unit or device 4 comprises a base 22 and a spindle23which extends through an opening in the base and is provided at itsupper end with'a head or circular flange 2 The base 22 is adapted tomove back and forth along the curved guideways 3 which are preferablyarcuate in shape and it is formed on its under side with correspondinglyshaped grooves into which the guideways extend.

As it isintended that the spindle shall be rotatable with respect tothebase, the'upper portion thereof is encased within a sleeve 25 formedof suitable anti-friction material and a washer 26 of the'same materialmay advantageously be in terposed between the head it of the spindleandthe bottom of the circular recess in the base 22 in which the head isarranged. To maintain the spindle'in operative association with thebase, a suitable'locking ring 2'5 be employed which is arranged inoverlapping relation with both the head of thespindle and the adjacentportion of the base,'being rigidly secured to the latter'by any suitablemeans such as machine screws (not shown}. Mounted on the head ofthespindle is a work holding member 28 on which a lens blank 29 is mountedin plaster of Paris or other suitable material 3L. Depending on thedistance" at which limited pivotal movement upon a. suitable base itis-desired to support the lens blank above the.

beam, the work holding member 28 may be detachablysecured directly tothehead 2d of the spindle or one or morefiller blocks 35 may be in terposedbetween the work holding member and r When

